coreTools 2006.03 is now available

Mick Posner

The coreAssembler tool enables the designer to automatically assemble, verify, and synthesize IP subsystems in less time than ever before. The coreAssembler tool, combined with DesignWare IP, automates the subsystem design creation and block integration of both AMBA 3 AXI, and AMBA 2.0 AHB/APB components, and also supports the leading DesignWare Digital Cores. This greatly reduces the time spent creating application specific subsystems that include DesignWare IP, allowing the designer to focus on additional product testing or differentiation. And coreAssembler fully supports the IP-XACT™ Specification from The SPIRIT Consortium so 3rd-party and custom IP blocks that are compliant with the IP-XACT specification can be assembled effortlessly into a subsystem.

New Features for coreAssembler 2006.03 include the following:

Testbench assembly using DesignWare Verification IP

Assembly support for AXI/AHB/APB-based subsystems

Support for SPIRIT 1.2

Design Compiler topographical synthesis support

All legacy "DesignWare Connect" functionality now built-in to coreAssembler

This article focuses on DesignWare Library Synthesizable IP customers using
coreAssembler, but the Synopsys family of coreTools is a comprehensive set
of intellectual
property (IP)
reuse tools for the creation and integration of IP into a knowledge-based assembly
flow.

The detailed list of features of coreAssembler 2006.03 includes the following:

Usage Model Change

Prior to 5.2, DesignWare Library Synthesizable IP customers were instructed to run
"$DESIGNWARE_HOME/bin/dw_connect", which then would automatically invoke coreAssembler
with the DesignWare Connect plug-in functionality. Starting with coreAssembler 5.2 and
continuing in 2006.03, users should just invoke coreAssembler directly (and will get a
message to that effect if they invoke dw_connect). When they instantiate a DW_ahb or
DW_axi bus fabric, the classic functionality of DesignWare Connect will be automatically
enabled.